Down Goes Frazier

The audio of this iconic boxing call should be on ready alert for the Winter Olympics.  People are falling everywhere.

Over the last 24 hours I have seen cross country skiing, moguls, luge, curling, alpine skiing, ski jumping and speed skating, both short track and long track.  The only two events I didn't see someone fall were luge (hard to fall when you are already lying down) and curling.  I would love to see someone fall in curling.  I am always amazed that the sweepers avoid kicking or tripping over the rocks that are already in play.  And I have often wondered what would happen if someone did.  There is no way it has never happened, but I have never seen it.  This I want to see at some point.  I am a bit of a sadist.

In long track speed skating, people were falling for no apparent reason.  In 1988 when Dan Jansen fell in the 500, he was flying around a curve.  Today I saw several people fall while skating straight ahead.  Daniel Greig of Australia fell about 10 feet off the start.  Amazingly he almost fell, then caught himself, then fell.  I have seen drunk people with better body control than these Olympic athletes.  To make it worse, Greig is the only speed skater in Sochi competing for Australia.  He was there to compete in an event that takes about 34 seconds, and less than 3 seconds into it, he was out.  I don't know if that is sad or funny.  OK, it's funny, but also a little sad.

In cross country skiing, I watched the sprint competitions.  The sprint lasts about 3 minutes.  They run heats to narrow the field to a final of six competitors.  In the men's final, Emil Joensson of Sweden was so tired he wasn't even trying.  Then, 3 guys fell going down a curvy hill.  It was a regular NASCAR wreck.  One guy fell, another fell trying to avoid the first guy.  Then a giant Russian ran over the second guy, falling and breaking a pole in the process.  Joenssen, who was about 30 seconds behind at the time, passed all three and "won" a bronze medal.

In the Men's 1500 Short Track Speed Skating, two South Koreans who were in position to advance to the finals took each other out.  In the downhill portion of the Women's Super Combined, competitors who fell slid about a half mile.  In the Women's Cross Country Skiing Sprint, American Sophie Caldwell took a spill while in decent position to win the first US medal in cross country skiing ever.

The Winter Olympics are the Olympics of falling.  And speed.  I guess the two go together.  I was watching the speed skating as they showed that the competitors were skating at over 30 mph.  I was amazed at the speed.  Downhill skiers go 60-80 mph.  Luge competitors approach 90.  The summer doesn't have this kind of speed.  Or the falling.  The Wife told me one of her friends enjoys the Winter Olympics more than the Summer.  I can see that, if you enjoy the speed.  Or the falling.

Reflections on What Has Happened (Focus for this will be on US sports and medals, but we will touch on other stuff as time permits)

1. Julia Mancuso is the most decorated female US Alpine Skier in Olympic history.  With one more medal, she will tie Bode Miller for the most Olympic Medals by a US Alpine Skier.  When she finished the slalom portion of the Super Combined, she celebrated as if she had won gold.  She's a little kooky, and I could do without the tiara, but she steps up her game under the brightest lights and seems to enjoy every moment.

2.  Could the Dutch please let someone else win a medal in Men's Speed Skating.

3.  I love the random and non-stop screaming during curling matches.  I don't understand it, but it nevers ceases to make me smile.  I saw some of the Great Britain v. Sweden match.  I can't even understand the British players and I assume they are speaking English.  Is there a secret curling language?

4.  Tough go for J.R. Celski in 1500 Short Track.  That really can be a random sport.

5.  Canada's Alex Bilodeau defended his gold medal in Men's Moguls.  In 2010, he bacame the first Canadian to win an Olympic Gold Medal on Canadian soil.  I saw a very nice personal interest story about him and his brother who has cerebral palsy.  It almost made me feel bad about rooting so hard against him in 2010.  Almost.


Predictions Recap

1. US gets bronze in Men's hockey, gold in Women's. - Pending

2. Shaun White wins his 3rd gold medal. - Pending

3. Ashley Wagner shocks the world with a bronze. - Pending

4. Mikaela Shiffrin becomes the darling of these games. - Pending, but Gracie Gold's performance in the Team competition suggest this may turn out incorrect.

5. US beats Russia in both total medals and golds. - Pending, but not looking good after yesterday.  Although Russia getting credit for Victor Han's medal in Men's Short Track 1500 shouldn't count.  That guy is Korean.

6. I will watch more biathlon than anyone else in America. - Pending, but so far, so good.

7. Newfound US dominance in Nordic combined will continue. - Pending

8. Putin will be on TV more during these Olympics than Kate Middleton was in 2012. And that's a bad thing, because Kate is much more fun to look at, for everyone except my Baltic States Insider. - So far, so good.

9.  US Women lose to the Swiss in curling.  Correct.

10.  US medals in men's 1500 short track.  WRONG!!!

11.  No medal for US in men's 500 speedskating.  Correct

12.  US Women shock Russia in curling.  Pending

13.  US Men's curling defeats China.  Pending

14.  Vladimir Putin makes a move on Meryl Davis.  Pending

15.  Yulia Lipnistkaya gets confused for a lost child and almost misses the Women's Short Program.  Pending

Predictions


1.  Erin Hamlin will win the first ever medal for the US in luge.

2.  I was going to predict a British win in curling over US women, but just saw a headline that Britian broke some record in that match.  Doesn't sound good.

3.  See Shaun White prediction above.

4.  Washington DC comes to a grinding halt on Thursday from snow.

What to Watch For

1.  Does Bob Costas return from his studio hiatus caused by an infection growing across his face?

2.  Can Russia return to glory in Pairs Figure Skating?  Will Vladimir Putin have Johnny Weir secretly taken out?

3.  More curling, and will I ever figure out what they are yelling?

4.  How many times will Youngest throw up in a 24 hour period?  Will Middle get the bug that has now hit 4 of 5 family members?

5.  Nordic Combined starts tomorrow!!!

6.  The Flying Tomato, or as he is now known, Shermanator 2.


Random Fact of the Day

Vladimir Putin has almost as many shirtless photos on the internet as Matthew McConaughey.